Welcome to Loan Counseling

Hosted By: The Financial Aid Office

The Direct Loan Program

The U.S. Department of Education provides loans to eligible students at participating

schools to help them pay for education after high school.

You must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits at CSN.

Direct Loans include the following: Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans,

Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans.

You repay your Direct Loan to the U.S. Department of Education.

You may receive more than one type of loan under the Direct Loan

Program. Each loan type has its own terms and conditions, such as interest rates.

Loan Requirements

• Must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits

• Must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN)

• Must complete Entrance Counseling

• Must complete Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (NEW 21-22)

Interest Rates –

The interest rates on Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans are fixed rates that are calculated each year from July 1 to June 30.

Any loan disbursed to you during this time will have 1 fixed interest rate.

You could have several loans with different interest rates, if disbursed in different academic years.

Your Rights as a Borrower –

I have the right to:

- written information on my loan obligations and my rights and responsibilities as a borrower

- a copy of my Master Promissory Note (MPN)

- a grace period and an explanation of what this means

- notification, if the Department transfers my loan to another servicer

- a disclosure statement, that includes information about interest rates, fees, the balance I owe, and a loan repayment schedule;

- deferment or forbearance of repayment for certain defined periods, if I qualify

- no early-repayment penalty

Your Responsibilities as a Borrower -

I am responsible for:

- completing exit counseling before I leave school or drop below half-time enrollment

- repaying my loan according to my repayment schedule even if I do not complete my academic program, I am dissatisfied with the education I received, or I am unable to find employment after I graduate

- notifying my lender or loan servicer if:

I move or change my address I change my telephone number I change my name I change my Social Security number I change employers or my employer’s address or telephone number changes

- making monthly payments on my loan after my grace period ends

Satisfactory Academic progress

(SAP) • Must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA at all times

• Must successfully complete 67% of the courses that you attempt

• Must complete the courses in the maximum timeframe required:

Undergraduate pursing a certificate – Not to exceed 45 attempted credit hours Undergraduate pursing an Associate Degree – Not to exceed 90 attempted credit hours Undergraduate pursing a Baccalaureate Degree – Not to exceed 180 attempted credit hours

Deferment -

having problems repaying your federal student loans, contact your loan servicer to see if you are eligible for deferment. A deferment allows you to temporarily stop making payments on your federal student loans. In most cases, if you have Direct Subsidized Loans, you are not charged interest on those loans during deferment. You are never charged a fee for applying for a deferment on your federal student loans.

You may qualify for a deferment if you are -

• enrolled at least half time

• in a full-time course of study in a graduate fellowship program

• unemployed or unable to find full-time employment

• experiencing an economic hardship

• serving in the Peace Corps;

• serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency

• performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency

• a member of the National Guard or other reserve component of the U.S. armed forces

Forbearance - If you are having temporary problems repaying your Direct Loans and are not

eligible for a deferment, contact your loan servicer to see if you are eligible for forbearance. A forbearance is another method of temporarily postponing or reducing loan payments. You are never charged a fee for applying for a forbearance on your Direct Loans.

Requirements:

• unable to make your scheduled loan payments

• serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program

• The total amount you owe each month for all of the Direct Loans you receive is 20% or more of your total monthly gross income (for a maximum of three years).

• serving in an approved AmeriCorps position.

• performing a teaching service that would qualify for loan forgiveness

• qualify for partial repayment of your loans

• You are called to active duty in the U.S. armed forces.

• Interest will continue to be charged during a forbearance

REPAYMENT

• pay back the money you borrowed.

• repayment begins when your grace period ends.

• No repayment penalty for early prepay of loan.

• You repay your loan(s) according to a repayment plan that you choose through your loan servicer. The repayment plan you choose determines the amount you pay each month and the number of payments you must make.

• repayment period can range from 10 years to 30 years

• keep you repayment period short and make your payments on time

Ombudsmen

• The Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group of the U.S. Department of Education is dedicated to helping resolve disputes related to Direct Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans, Guaranteed Student Loans, and Perkins Loans.

• The Ombudsman Group is a neutral, informal, and confidential resource to help resolve disputes about your federal student loans.

• Should only be contacted as a last resort, when all other avenues have be exhausted

• www.studentaid.gov/ombudsmen

• Phone 1-877-557-2575

• https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman

• Federal Student Feedback System - https://feedback.studentaid.ed.gov

SULA – Subsidized Usage Limits Apply • The 150% sub loan limit puts a clock on how long you are eligible to receive

federal sub loans, and it is based on the amount of time it takes to get a degree.

• 2–year degree program students can get sub loans for 3–years. Basically, if you go over 3-years, interest begins at the beginning of the 4th year that you take a loan.

• 4–year degree program students can get sub loans for 6–years. Basically, if you go over 6-years, interest begins at the beginning of the 6th year that you take a loan.

• If you go over your Subsidized Usage Limit – all sub loans that you have taken out will begin to accrue interest as of the day that your enrollment passes the 150% mark.

• First-Time Borrowers on or after July 1, 2013. A First-Time borrower could be a student who has paid all loans off previously and wants to borrow again after July 1, 2013.

Student Loans - www.studentaid.gov

• Must have an FSA ID

(username & password)

• Find interest rates on loan

• Find Loan Servicer

• Entrance Counseling

• Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement

• Complete MPN • Print original MPN • See all electronic

correspondence from Department of Education

Loan Alternatives – Be smart in your use of Financial Aid

• Apply for Grants & Scholarships

• Work Study Programs

• Work part time – find on campus jobs

• Ask for money for birthdays and Christmas to help fund school

• Crowd sourcing – GoFundMe, Indie-go-go (www.indiegogo.com), etc.

• Borrow only what you need

• For more ideas go to Types of Aid at www.studentaid.gov

Military Veteran Students Only -

• Loan Forgiveness for Federal Student Loan Debt for Totally and Permanently Disabled Veterans.

• Automatic

• Would / Will receive a letter by snail mail

• Only have 60 days to opt-out

Federal Contact Info Resources

•Federal Student Aid Information Center

1-800-433-3243

•Federal Student Aid email – studentaid@ed.gov

•Debt Resolution 1-800-621-3115

•www.studentaid.gov

Questions? Financial Aid Call Center 702-651-4303

By Email: loans@csn.edu

Monday 8:00 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday – Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

CSN FAQ at https://www.csn.edu/financial-aid-faqs